Through the Looking Glass

I have a bunch of things to post...especially about the Hurricane. I am going to post links to help here above the fold and post the rant below the fold so that you don't have to read it if you don't want to. For those of you who do not go on...I leave you with this picture of Looking Glass Falls in Transylvania County, NC. I took this photo on Wednesday late in the afternoon. I'm not sure why I like this particular photo so much. It seems soft.

In a post 9/11 world what is happening in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast is not only a tragedy but an insult to our American way of life. We rush out of the country with a drop of a hint of a disaster in another part of the world. We are always the first ones in, the first to bring in supplies, the first to raise great amounts of money, and we are the last ones out when it's over. We pride ourselves on it.

Don't get me wrong here. I am in no way ashamed of the American people. As always we went rushing into the area offering all we had...ourselves, our homes, and our money. I am in no way ashamed of the people in New Orleans. They are doing what they have to do to survive. We've all run the scenerio in our heads (a fun game to play when bored silly) of what we would do if desered on an island. What would we want with us? Who would we want with us? Who would we eat first? The residents of New Orleans are essentially trapped on a deserted island, an island surrounded by a city wide cesspool littered with dead bodies. The fact they are looting stores for water, food, and essentials does not bother me at all. Those stealing tvs, golf clubs and non essentials should be ashamed.

Everyone knows I am a liberal Democrat. With that said I could go off on a rant that would fill the World Wide Web about republican and conservatives, but I'm not. I'm not because the blame here has nothing to do with liberals, conservatives, religion, race, or gender. It has to do with arrogance and stupidity.

The arrogance comes from all those that stood there and looked their citizens in the eye and said it could never happen here. Yes, they all admit that they knew this tragedy would occur if it did happen, but don't worry....it won't. They told them not to worry as they cut the budgets of the Corps of Engineers so they couldn't get the levees updated. It won't happen here. They told them not to worry as the population continued to move further into the wetlands and eventually eroded the coastline of all of its natural protection. Don't worry, it won't happen here. The greatest being...."if it does ...don't worry...we can handle it". Yeah. Right. They didn't.

The stupidity has been overwhelming. Let's start with this deputy director of FEMA. Hiring him was our biggest mistake to date. Where did this man get his education? We need to return to his elementary school and slap his first grade teacher. The statements coming from his mouth are so absurd that they literraly knock the wind out of me. His total lack of understanding and the gravity of the situation amazes me. Maybe he needs to go home and turn on CNN and let Anderson Cooper explain it to him. It is being reported now that he was fired from his last job because of incompetence and that he was in no way qualified for this job...having no experience..and getting the job because of a friend. His last job was running a horse organization. huh?

There is a list of unbelievable things he has said, but the most outrageous was to blame the people in New Orleans. Of course it is their fault. I don't know why 100,000 people living in poverty without jobs, money, or cars couldn't evacuate. I guess he expected the elderly, sick, disabled, and poor to just walk out. Why weren't the 500 buses the Mayor is calling for to evacuated them now called in two days before the storm to evacuate them then. Ever heard the old adage about an ouce of prevention?

To the people of New Orleans evacuated and not, and to the people of the Gulf Coast. We, the people of America, are here for you. We are praying for you. We have NOT abandoned you. Your government on the other hand....well....